St. Landry democrat., 1887-11-26
Major Harrod, mem Der of the commission
He shows that there nave been

| ia dJof I1dlEOu mem DER or the COi0lQlSSlOUs
| lie SHOWS That there nave been
EXPENDED FOR LEyEEs
| $2,562,049, and that we received the benefit of
over 81, 7UO, 900, most OF which has been ex-
| pended on levees in the Fifth COMPRESSION |
district. We lost the last river and har or
OH necause the president failed to approve
! 1t. After long debate in the house we had
succeeded In getting So go 900 for the river,
and OF this amount at least
A MILLION OF DOLLARS
would have gone to building levees on tho
river. l believe that after the expenditure
OF million or SO more the river would be
entirely leVeed In. At all events [ think
rled forward from congress to congress that
gentlemen in this audience will live TO see
the day when the Mississippi. from the quit
to the mills of Missouri is leveed in and tn at
the water, where 1t Is now II to Is feet deep
In the channel, will have uniform depth of
20 feet to Cairo and Is feet to st. Louis, so
that great ships may go and come.
rms Is not my prophecy but the assurance
or the man to whom all the credit is due for
the great work at the mouth OF the river,
CAPTAIN JAMES b. EADS.
Here is what he has to say on the subject
When in 1876 offered the original bill con-
shutting the Mississippi river commission,
at my request Captain Eads came before the
committee. | will read to you what he said :
There can be no doubt OF the entire FEAST
bliltY OF 80 correcting the Mississippi river
from Cairo to the gulf that channel depth
OF 20 feet during the low water seasons can
be permanently secured throughout les en-
tire course, and that the alluvIal lands on
each side OF lis waters can be made absO-
lutely safe from overflow without levees by
such correction. This can be accomplished
for sum entirely within the ability OF the
government and one really insignificant
When compared with the benefits which
would flow from such Improvement. Until
such work Is accomplished an annual eX-
pendlture for the maintenance of the leyees
Is imperative"
Now, fellow citizens, If the predictions of
TINS great engineer can be realized, and all
the people who live on the banks of the Mis-
sIsslppl shall DO as secure from overflow as
those VINO live IN Georgia and Tennessee,
anu all tnO3e rich domains now lying waste
snail Do the site OF the happy homes OF an
Industrious, frugal and enterprlsIng people,
and the Mississippi river deopened 80 That
great ships may come from all quarters Of
the globe through the jetties and up the
l1Ver, the credit will be due Captain lads
ana the MISSISSIPPI river commission.
have
GREAT FAITH
IN the genius OF Eads. think that, In some
respects ne was the greatest man in whose
presence [ ever stood. When q child he
climbed up the bank of the Mississippi at St
Louis, a barefOOted boy, pennless and
frtendless by the side of his widowed moth
er. He obtained his knowledge OF the laws
That control the great river. not at West
Point, nor from books, but by diving down
IN the river 10 look at the wrecks
lying on its bottom. In time
his genius SPAWNED that river almost at the
very point where he walked up Its bank i'll
his youth by bridge that Is to-day marvel
or engineering. and which the board Of en-
gIneers SAID
WAS lMPRACTICABLE
because no span could be made covering a
space CT 500 feet; but there it stands, and
over lC DdsSbE with SafHiv Tha trade and
commerce OF the west and east. When he pro-
posed TO build the jetties at the mouth OF the
river the board or engineers said 1t was i'm
posstble-tnat 1t was The dream OF an entnu-
slaSt-anu yet
THE JETTIES STAND
to-day in spite of storms and time, giving to
our great river deep channel to The sea.
NOW, fellow citizens, [ belteVe that in a
few years more this plan that IS being ap-
piled 10y the United States government TO
the Mississippi will give you security from
oVertiows, and peace and prosperity insofar
as the government may do that, and that the
commerce OF the valley OF tie Mississippi
Will be distributed over every part OF the
known world, and the teemlDg millions who
uha0it this valley will, trust, In time erect
some
FITTING MONUMENT
10 their great benefactor. Captain Eads.
1t will be happy day for the people of our
state when they shall elecJ as
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE
he man under whose administration the
present admirable !svee system was created |
tn0 By whom Ievee building would be pushed |
Onward with unparalleled energy. We |
'hould feel at Washington that our efforts |
here were going to Dc appreciated and |
assisted by The state administration that |
here was no fire In our rear: no purpose |
o overthrow this senator or that-noWJonas. |
low Glbson-by the power and patronage OF |
he state administration. We should all have |
- nj Al "A